Northstar Turns "40" This Winter With New Options For Guests

TRUCKEE, Calif. - Sept. 24, 2012 - In a Press Release sent out today the North Shore resort is saying that the $30 million recently invested at Northstar that has dramatically changed the way skiers and riders experience the mountain, and that for Northstar's 40th anniversary season guests will enjoy even more glade skiing on The Backside, snow cat and backcountry tours on Sawtooth Ridge, a new Burton Riglet Park, Marsh Mellow, the resort's new "canine marketing officer," EpicMix Racing, and a new tavern in the Village at Northstar, among other things.

"This is an exciting time of the year. This season, our guests are going to have unprecedented access to Sawtooth Ridge by snow cat and guided backcountry tours. We're introducing EpicMix Racing, giving our guests the opportunity to see how they stack up against Lindsey Vonn, the best American ski racer of all time, and kids learning to snowboard will love the new Burton Riglet Park complete with learning progressions and equipment specifically designed to help them improve," said Bill Rock, chief operating officer at Northstar. "And, with new glade skiing in the Promised Land ski pod on The Backside and the sweeping views and incredible food at the Zephyr Lodge, our guests are going to feel like they're at an entirely new mountain."

$30 Million in Improvements Completed

For the first complete season, resort guests will be able to enjoy the benefits of the $30 million Vail Resorts invested at Northstar, in projects that included the installation of a new high-speed chairlift and a new ski pod (Promised Land) with new glade skiing and two new intermediate ski trails on The Backside of the mountain, construction of the LEED-certified Zephyr Lodge, a new 700-seat on-mountain restaurant, and the construction of a new 22-Foot Superpipe designed by Shaun White, who calls Northstar his home mountain and primary training resort. These projects have changed the way skiers and riders navigate the mountain, how they experience on-mountain dining, and provide access to one of only a handful of competition sized pipes in the country.

In addition, additional glading was completed in the new Promised Land ski pod over the summer, providing access to even more of the incredible tree skiing Northstar has come to be known for.

Snow Cat Skiing/Riding & Backcountry Tours on Sawtooth Ridge

This season, snow cat accessed skiing and riding will be offered for the first time on Sawtooth Ridge, offering unprecedented access to a popular gate-accessed area of terrain that was previously only open to advanced skiers and riders when snow conditions permitted. In addition, guided backcountry tours will be available to advanced skiers and riders interested in skiing or riding outside the resort's Sawtooth Ridge boundary to an area planned for future expansion, offering a preview of what's to come.

Burton Riglet Park Introduces 3-6 Year Olds to Snowboarding

A long-time test bed of on snow Burton branded offerings such as Progression Parks, The Stash and the one-of-a-kind Burton Snowboard Academy, this season Northstar will partner with Burton to introduce a new Riglet Park. With the ability to dramatically change the dynamic of the snowboard lesson for kids ages 3-6 years old, the Riglet Park concept offers on snow learning progressions for small children through an instructor guided experience and use of the "Riglet Reel," which attaches to the nose of compatible Burton youth snowboards, allowing kids to be pulled around while getting used to standing sideways.

Northstar's New CMO (Canine Marketing Officer), "Marsh Mellow"

Once lost and now found, "Marsh Mellow" was abandoned at Northstar and found by the resort's security staff on August 6, 2012. The Northstar marketing team created and posted flyers around the resort, contacted the local Humane Society and animal shelters to report him found, and took the three month old puppy, dubbed "Marsh Mellow," to a local vet to see if he had been microchipped. There was no chip, and "MM" was very dirty and without a collar or tags. That's when the team started posting through the resort's social media channels to help locate his owners. After 30 days, and with no one coming forward to claim him, MM was formally adopted by one of the Northstar marketing staff members. Now officially part of the Northstar team, Marsh Mellow has developed a following of guests who regularly visit the Village at Northstar to see him.

Compete Against Lindsey Vonn with EpicMix Racing

The third generation of Vail Resorts' wildly popular ski and snowboard application, EpicMix™, will provide skiers a new way to experience ski racing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone in Colorado and Heavenly and Northstar in California and Nevada when it launches mid-December. With EpicMix Racing, skiers will automatically have their race times compared to ski racing great, Lindsey Vonn, with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded based on achievement. Race times, digital medals, overall leaderboards and leaderboards with just family and friends will all be available on both the EpicMix website and mobile application. Race results and medals can then be easily shared on Facebook and Twitter. Finally, the Company has created the Lindsey Vonn Race Series, in which all skiers and riders will be ranked based on their best 10 races of the season. The top racers from across the six resorts will be invited to a grand finale event in April 2012, hosted by Vonn, on the world-famous Birds of Prey World Cup Course at Beaver Creek. Vonn also will provide race tips throughout the season, which will be featured on the web and mobile applications.

Tavern 6330' Debuts in the Village at Northstar

New this season in the Village at Northstar, Tavern 6330' will feature an American grill inspired by California farm fresh ingredients and a cozy, tavern-esque atmosphere suitable for the whole family. Accompanying a stellar wine list will be a variety of micro brews and signature cocktails served at the inside bar, as well as outside at the Rock Bar on the patio. With indoor and outdoor seating for up to 200, s'more making around the fire pits on the patio and a slopeside location next to Village Run, the Tavern is sure to become an après ski favorite.

Northstar Celebrates 40 Years

Transforming from a day ski area to a year-round destination resort, Northstar has evolved to become one of the top mountain resort properties in the country. The resort will celebrate its 40th birthday on December 22 with a party hosted by Northstar team athlete Shaun White that is not to be missed.

Those interested in booking lodging can take advantage of the 3-2-1 Countdown to December package featuring three nights of lodging, two days of skiing/riding per person, and a $50 resort gift card. This offer is valid daily from December 1-24, 2012 and starts at $89 per person, per night. Some restrictions apply.

Northstar is scheduled to open for the winter season on Friday, November 16, 2012 (conditions permitting). For more information, visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com.

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